Friday, July 17, 2015

Gaint Walkingsticks are usually credited with being the LONGEST insect in North America. This female's body is around five inches long, which is about average for a fully-grown female. Femoral spines on their mid and hind legs are diagnostic for this species according to BugGuide.

Monday, July 06, 2015

Caterpillar Hosts: Apple, dogwood, hickory, maples, oaks, poplars, and rose bushes. Range: New York to Florida, west to Missouri and Texas. And, yes, the caterpillars are very attractive and do sting. (BAMONA)

Saturday, July 04, 2015

Caterpillar Hosts: Plants in the pea family, including alfalfa and various clovers. Adult Food: Nectar from many kinds of flowers including dandelion, milkweeds, goldenrods, and asters. (Source and more info: BAMONA)

Monday, June 29, 2015

The second brood of Easten Phoebes nesting on our porch will fledge soon and that's a good thing. Their nest is only a few inches below the bottom of the roof. By late June it's getting so hot up there I don't see how they survive. (Eastern Phoebe via Cornell Lab of Ornithology)

Sunday, January 04, 2015

A new cold front is approaching. Foggy morning. Light rain off and on during the afternoon. Steady rain evening an overnight. Seems like we've had more than our share of gray days with little or no actual precipitation. At least, we've finally received significant rainfall.

Saturday, January 03, 2015

"Good Luck" black-eyed peas soaking. Jo prepared them during the afternoon and we ate with supper.

Another gray day. Jo and the dogs did not get to take their full morning walk. When sleet began falling, Jo decided to turn around and head home. It was drizzling hard enough we didn't even attempt our afternoon walk up the road.